A Quiet Change

I opened my eyes to the suffocating sound of my alarm.

It was an ordinary Monday morning.

As I stepped into the bathroom, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. The dark circles beneath my eyes had become even more noticeable.

Lately, I hadn't been sleeping well.

It felt as though something deep within my mind refused to leave me alone.

Like every other morning, I got ready without eating breakfast.

After getting dressed, I picked up my violin and headed to school.

From now on, I would be practicing in the Student Council room during lunch breaks. I could leave my violin there, so I wouldn't have to carry it back and forth every day.

The moment I stepped into the classroom, I sensed a strange atmosphere.

It felt as though invisible pink butterflies were fluttering through the air.

As soon as I sat down, Nozomi walked over to me.

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning."

"Of course," I replied with a smile. "I'm so happy that the whole classroom looks bright pink to me. There are love butterflies flying everywhere. In fact, look—one just landed on your shoulder."

Nozomi burst into laughter.

"You're really funny, Umut. Or are you jealous? If you want, we can find one of those butterflies for you too."

"I'll pass," I said immediately. "I don't need any butterflies. I'm afraid I'll have to politely decline your generous offer."

Nozomi laughed before glancing at my violin case.

"I see you brought your violin. I guess you won't be spending your lunch breaks with us anymore."

"It's not like I'll be practicing every day," I said with a shrug. "Whenever I have a free lunch break, I'll still come hang out with you guys."

After a brief pause, I smirked.

"Besides, it's actually a good opportunity for you."

"Oh? How so?"

"You'll get to spend more time with Souta."

A faint blush spread across Nozomi's cheeks.

"You're still teasing me about that?"

"And you still haven't confessed to him."

"I already told you. Now isn't the right time."

I slowly shook my head.

"You'd better be careful. While you're waiting for the perfect moment, someone else might catch your butterfly."

Nozomi froze for a moment.

"...What are you trying to say?"

"I'll let you figure that out yourself."

Just then, the bell rang, and our teacher walked into the classroom.

The classes passed much faster than I had expected.

I guessed it was because I had already studied the material at home beforehand.

I was participating more actively in class now, and answering questions had become much easier.

That alone made learning far more enjoyable.

Even so...

The midterm exams were getting closer.

Since this was my first exam period at a new school, I couldn't help feeling a quiet but constant sense of anxiety.

Even then...

Deep down, I knew the exams weren't what occupied my mind the most.

The classes were far more enjoyable than I had expected, so lunchtime arrived before I knew it.

With my violin case in hand, I headed straight to the cafeteria. I grabbed a sandwich and ate it as I made my way toward the Student Council room.

Just then, a boy and two girls stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

I didn't recognize any of them. They were probably upperclassmen.

The boy pointed at my violin case.

"You need to come with us."

I politely shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I have something to do at the Student Council. Maybe we can talk later."

The moment I said that, the three of them exchanged glances. Their expressions changed instantly. After whispering to each other for a few seconds, they turned around and walked away without another word.

I had no idea what that was about.

Shrugging it off, I continued toward the Student Council room.

As soon as I opened the door, the familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. This time, however, it was accompanied by the distinct scent of fresh ink.

Vice President Shiori greeted me with a warm smile.

"Welcome, Umut. Feel free to sit wherever you'd like. The president is currently busy with our treasurer, going over some important calculations."

"First of all, thank you for inviting me. If you don't mind, I'd like to start practicing right away. I lost a little time on the way here. There is a mirror here, isn't there?"

"Of course. It's on the left, next to the cabinet."

After a brief pause, she added,

"Oh, and if you'd like some coffee, our secretary, Aoi, can make you a cup."

"Thank you for the offer, but I prefer not to eat or drink while I'm practicing."

"Then I wish you a productive session."

I took my violin out of its case, tuned it carefully, and started the timer on my phone.

For the first five minutes, I focused on long bow exercises.

The next five minutes were dedicated to scales and arpeggios.

After that, I spent fifteen minutes working on the fast, rhythmic passages of Brahms' Hungarian Dance No. 5, especially the sections that still gave me trouble.

I devoted the final ten minutes to refining the rubato passages.

Once I was satisfied, I played the entire piece from beginning to end.

That was enough practice for today.

My performance wasn't quite at the level I had hoped for, but it had still been a productive session. By tomorrow, I'd probably be able to play the piece comfortably from memory.

After placing my violin back into its case, I walked over to the president.

"Excuse me, President. Sorry to interrupt. Where would you like me to leave my violin?"

"You aren't interrupting us at all," he replied with a smile. "On the contrary, thank you—from all of us. You gave our ears a real treat. I hope you'll come here every day."

"If nothing unexpected comes up, I will."

"Then you can leave your violin here. My secretary will take care of everything."

"Thank you very much. In that case, I'll be on my way. See you tomorrow."

"Take care, Umut."

"You too, Mr. President."

When I left the room, there were still twenty minutes left before lunch break ended.

I had plenty of time to meet up with my friends and chat for a while.

As I headed toward the courtyard, I ran into the same boy and the two girls again.

This time...

It looked like they had been waiting for me.

"Were you really waiting for me?"

"Yeah."

The boy stepped closer.

"You're the violin player, right?"

"I am. But I don't see how that's any of your business. Who exactly are you?"

"You need to come to our classroom. Someone wants to talk to you."

I sighed, clearly annoyed.

"If someone wants to talk to me, they can come themselves."

"Come."

His voice was firmer this time.

I let out a deep sigh.

"Fine. I'll come. But only because I have a few words for this friend of yours."

Just as I had guessed, they were one grade above me.

As soon as I entered their classroom, I looked around.

"So... where's your friend?"

The three of them exchanged confused looks.

"They were supposed to be here..."

One of them pointed to an empty seat.

"Would you mind waiting for a minute?"

Reluctantly, I sat down.

About a minute later, the classroom door opened.

Three girls walked in.

They looked surprised when they saw me, but their surprise quickly turned into cheerful smiles.

"You're the violin boy!"

"We heard you playing the other day. You're really amazing!"

"We have someone in our class who plays the violin too, but they're nowhere near as good as you."

"So... why are you in our classroom?"

I simply shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea. These three dragged me here and told me to wait for someone."

While I was chatting with the girls, the classroom door opened once again.

Instinctively, I turned toward it.

Thud!

A plastic water bottle flew straight into my face.

"Ow!"

The bottle hit the floor and rolled across the classroom.

I slowly looked up.

A student was standing in the doorway, staring at me with an icy expression.

"So..."

"It really is you."

I froze in complete confusion.

The girl shot a sharp glare at the three students standing behind me.

"Were they the ones who brought you here?"

I still had no idea what was going on.

"I... don't really know what's happening. They told me you wanted to see me, so I came."

She looked at me with obvious disgust.

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you."

That was the last straw.

"Are you kidding me?"

The entire classroom fell silent.

"Your friends dragged me all the way here. On top of that, someone throws a water bottle at my face. And now you're acting like nothing happened and telling me you have nothing to say to me?"

I took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm my anger.

"There's a limit to how rude someone can be."

I lifted my violin case slightly.

"So you're the violinist everyone has been talking about."

A bitter smile crossed my face.

"Your friends must've wanted to introduce us. Maybe they thought we could talk or exchange ideas since we both play the violin."

Without realizing it, I'd raised my voice by the time I finished.

Just as I turned to leave, I noticed her eyes beginning to fill with tears.

For a brief moment, I wondered if I had gone too far.

But...

I didn't care.

I turned around and walked out of the classroom without looking back.

When I returned to my own classroom, my friends immediately noticed the red mark on my forehead.

"What happened to you?"

I told them everything that had happened during lunch break.

The moment I finished the story, they all burst into laughter.

Watching them laugh, I couldn't help laughing as well.

Even so...

For some reason, I couldn't get the image of that girl's tear-filled eyes out of my mind.

After school, I went to the library with my friends as usual and spent the afternoon studying.

When I got home that evening, I sat down at my computer to play a few games and clear my mind.

Right in the middle of a match, my phone vibrated.

It was ten o'clock at night.

A message from an unknown number had appeared on my screen.

I'm sorry about what happened today.

The moment I read it, I knew it was from that girl.

But...

How had she gotten my phone number?

The thought felt strangely unsettling.

Even so, I didn't think much of it.

I put my phone back on my desk and returned to my game.

The next morning, on my way to school, I ran into her again.

She was walking toward me on the same sidewalk.

The moment our eyes met, we both stopped for a brief second, staring at each other.

Then she walked over to me.

She parted her lips as if she wanted to say something.

But in the end...

She changed her mind.

Without saying a single word, she lowered her head slightly and walked past me.

I didn't turn around to watch her leave.

I simply kept walking toward school.

When I arrived at the classroom, Nozomi was waiting for me by the door.

"Who was that girl you were talking to this morning?"

"Who?"

"The girl you locked eyes with in front of the school."

I shrugged.

"I don't know her."

"Oh, come on. You expect me to believe that? Yesterday you were called to the third-years' classroom, and now she's waiting for you first thing in the morning."

"I honestly have no idea what's going on either."

Nozomi looked at me for a few seconds.

"...Fine."

She didn't press the subject any further.

Just then, the teacher walked into the classroom, bringing our conversation to an end.

When lunch break arrived, I headed to the Student Council room.

As soon as I opened the door, the familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted me.

The president was busy going through a stack of documents.

Meanwhile, Shiori was organizing files by the window.

"Welcome, Umut."

"Thanks."

I took my violin out of its case and began my usual practice routine.

Long bow exercises...

Scales...

Arpeggios...

Then Brahms.

About forty minutes later, I finished practicing and carefully placed my violin back into its case.

Just as I was about to leave, Shiori called out to me.

"Wait a second, Umut."

"Yes?"

She pulled a small piece of paper from her desk drawer.

"Did you see the message you received last night?"

I looked at her in surprise.

"...How do you know about that?"

She smiled faintly.

"Because someone requested your phone number from the student information system yesterday."

"...Who?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Student information is confidential."

I let out a quiet sigh.

"I understand."

Shiori studied me for a moment.

"Aren't you curious?"

"I'm not."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"You're an interesting person."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't."

The room fell silent for a brief moment.

Then she smiled softly.

"You'll be back tomorrow, right?"

"If nothing comes up."

"Your coffee will be waiting."

"Maybe I'll accept it this time."

With that, I left the room.

As I walked down the hallway, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

I stopped and looked at the screen.

It was the same unknown number again.

I'll explain everything to you. Just... give me a little more time.

I stared at the message in silence for a few seconds.

I didn't reply.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and continued walking.

I had just walked out of the school gates.

"Hey."

I turned around.

The girl from yesterday was standing a few meters behind me, looking straight at me.

She walked over until she was right in front of me.

"Do you have two minutes?"

"I'm listening."

"I want to apologize for what happened yesterday."

"For which part? Throwing a water bottle at my face, or making me wait in your classroom for forty minutes for no reason?"

She frowned slightly.

"For both."

"Good."

"..."

"..."

"Are you done?"

"No."

For the first time, she looked away.

"I never told them to bring you to my classroom."

"But you were the one who threw the water bottle."

"I was."

"Why?"

"You made me angry."

"You didn't even know me."

"Sometimes you don't need a long time to form an opinion about someone."

I let out an involuntary laugh.

"That's a first."

A faint smile appeared on her face as well.

"I didn't say anything funny."

"I know."

A brief silence fell between us.

"By the way..."

"What?"

"How did you get my phone number?"

"From the Student Council."

"You admitted that pretty easily."

"I wasn't going to lie."

"You know that's against the rules."

"I do."

"Then why did you do it?"

"I live with the Student Council President and the Vice President, so getting your number wasn't a problem."

I stayed silent for a few seconds.

She had a point.

If she hadn't sent me that message, I probably wouldn't have listened to her again.

"Even so..." I said. "If you'd treated me properly from the beginning, none of this would've happened. You know that too."

She didn't argue.

She knew I was right.

"And one more thing," I continued.

"Why did your friends try so hard to get me to meet you? And what exactly are you trying to explain?"

"You want to hear it now?"

"Yes."

"I'd rather put an end to all of this today. Midterm exams are coming up, and I don't like unnecessary mysteries distracting me. I'm just an ordinary student."

She let out a quiet sigh.

"Alright."

After a brief pause, she continued.

"I know a café nearby."

"Let's go there."

"I'll explain everything from the beginning."

We went to the café Nozomi had brought me to before.

At this point, I wasn't even surprised anymore.

It felt like everyone at this school ended up here sooner or later.

We had barely taken our seats when a familiar voice came from behind me.

"You again?"

I turned around.

Mei was standing there with a notepad in her hand, smiling at me.

"So you've brought another girl this time."

"Is there seriously no one else working here? Why do you always end up serving my table?"

The girl laughed and cut into the conversation.

"Hey, Mei! How are you? You look beautiful today, as always."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

Mei looked at me, then at the girl.

"So... what's a girl like you doing with this troublemaker?"

"I owe him an apology."

"You're apologizing to him?"

She shook her head with a smile.

"Well then... what can I get for you two?"

"I'll have a chicken wrap and something cold to drink."

"I'll take a slice of pistachio cake and a lemonade."

"Coming right up."

As Mei walked away, silence settled over the table.

Neither of us seemed to know how to begin.

Just as I was about to speak, the girl beat me to it.

"First... let me introduce myself."

"My name is Sanjo Ayame."

"You can just call me Sanjo."

"I've been playing the violin since I was little."

"I've placed in several national competitions."

After a brief pause, she looked straight at me.

"We've actually met overseas before."

"In Italy."

I searched my memory, but nothing came back.

"I don't blame you for not remembering."

"We were both in middle school."

"You won first place."

"After that competition, I started watching every performance of yours that I could find."

"But I couldn't find anything from the last three years."

I couldn't help but smile.

"So you've been following me all these years."

"That's... a little creepy."

She rolled her eyes.

"Not following."

"I was studying my rival."

"Let's call it that."

"So what did your friends have to do with any of this?"

"Even before you transferred here, I spent my free time watching both my own performances and yours."

"My friends knew that."

"When they saw you playing during the music club session, they immediately dragged you to our classroom."

"I had no idea they were going to do that."

"I listened to you that day."

"Your performance took me back to those years."

"But this time..."

"There was something different."

"It wasn't joy."

"It was sadness."

I stayed quiet for a moment.

"Maybe."

"No one knows what's inside a person better than themselves."

"I'm not going to talk about my personal life."

"So don't ask why there are no recordings of my performances from the last three years."

"I won't answer."

She quietly nodded.

"I understand."

A moment later, she remembered something else.

"Oh, right..."

"You mentioned that you live with the Student Council President and Vice President."

"How does that work?"

"The three of us have lived together since the beginning of high school."

"Our families live in different cities."

"They agreed because we all have the same goal."

"And besides..."

"The President and Vice President have been together since middle school."

"I see."

"This is your graduation year, isn't it?"

"So what's your goal?"

"All three of us want to study medicine."

"They talk about you at home sometimes."

"They say you have an impressive background."

"What about you?"

"What's your goal?"

I looked down at the glass of water in front of me.

"No matter what happens..."

"I'm going to study medicine."

"I made that promise to myself."

"It doesn't matter how successful I become as a violinist..."

"If the people I love can't hear my music..."

"Then none of it means anything to me."

Sanjo silently nodded.

"I understand how you feel."

Then she smiled faintly.

"Oh..."

"You can delete my number from your phone."

"I don't mind."

I laughed.

"Too late."

"I already saved it."

She blinked in surprise.

"What did you save me as?"

"'Mysterious Girl.'"

The two of us laughed at the same time.

Just then, Mei returned with our orders.

Without me saying a word, she placed a strawberry milkshake in front of me as well.

Sanjo looked at the milkshake, then back at me.

"You didn't even order it..."

"So you really do love these."

I simply shrugged.

"I guess I do."

We walked out of the café together.

A brief silence settled between us in front of the entrance.

"I'm sorry again," Sanjo said.

"This time... I really accept your apology."

"I guess I've earned it."

"..."

"I'm kidding."

For the first time, I saw her laugh sincerely.

"By the way..." I said.

"Very few people at school know about my past. I don't tell anyone about it."

"I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself as well."

Sanjo nodded without the slightest hesitation.

"Don't worry."

"I want us to get along."

"So I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you."

Another brief silence followed.

"Take care of yourself."

"You too."

"See you."

"See you."

Sanjo turned right while I headed toward the station.

After taking a few steps, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

A new message had arrived.

Nozomi: "So... did you two make up at the café? 😏"

I couldn't help but smile.

Me: "We worked things out."

Her reply came almost instantly.

Nozomi: "Good. We'll be in the courtyard during lunch tomorrow. Don't be late."

I slipped my phone back into my pocket.

The sky was slowly changing from orange to shades of purple.

When I got home, the same familiar scene was waiting for me.

My midterm study materials were spread across my desk.

My violin case rested beside them.

I stood there for a moment, staring at both.

Then I quietly pulled out my chair and sat down.

I opened my mathematics textbook first.

The midterm exams were the most important thing in front of me right now.

...

And yet...

As I turned the pages, my mind kept drifting back to something Sanjo had said.

"It wasn't joy... It was sadness."

So...

From the outside...

Even other people had started to notice that I was changing.

I stayed up late again that night.

But this time...

My mother wasn't the only thing on my mind.

For the first time...

Someone had noticed not my violin—

but the person hidden behind its music.

Outside, the night passed in complete silence.

Tomorrow...

It would be another ordinary day at school.